Image Processing Experiments for the Classroom

Exploring the Solar System is a science enrichment program taught at LPI for gifted fifth-grade students [1]. As part of this semester-long course, we teach a series of three computer labs on digital image processing. Images of the planets obtained by various NASA spacecraft have had a key role in the overall exploration of the Solar System. The purpose of these labs is to teach the students the basic nature of digital images and how computer processing of images can aid in the interpretation of images. The labs described here represent our experience developed from teaching this course on 16 occasions since 1992. These labs are appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students. With suitable choices of imagery, the labs could focus on the Solar System, geography, earth science, environmental science, or astronomy. The activities described here can be performed on personal computers. We use Paint Shop Pro for these labs, but the instructions given here can be modified for use with other image processing software. Each of the computer labs is about 45 minutes in length and begins with a formal instruction segment and ends with a less structured exploration segment. For simplicity, we focus on black and white images during the first lab and for part of the second lab. The remainder of the second lab and part of the third lab is devoted to studying color images. We also devote a portion of the third lab session to 3-D stereo imagery.